What are the best supplements for weight gain?

The real driving forces of quality weight gain are nutrition and strength training. But adding some of these simple supplements to your diet can make weight gain a little easier. Some of them speed up recovery or help increase your workout intensity, while others just help you get enough calories to keep growing!

squirrel

If you plan to gain muscle mass on a diet plan that does not include occasional shakes, good luck. Again and again it was shown that protein supplements in combination with strength training lead to an increase in muscle mass, that is, muscles. Of course, you can reach a scientifically based level of 0.8 to 1 gram per pound of body weight per day with just food, but you can more easily achieve this with a scoop or two to help you with this.

“Consider powders and drinks as convenient supplements and use them in this way,” recommends Douglas Kalman, Ph.D. “If shaking after a workout is the only way to get protein at a time, shake it. If you are trying to gain weight, and you are in a position where you have or shake, or skip a meal completely, shake. "

To learn more about what protein does for your body and how it can make your workout more effective, read the Complete Guide to Protein.

Weight gainer

Weight gain supplements are often supplied with proteins, carbohydrates and even fats, so you can quickly increase your calories. Some products allow you to consume more than 1000 calories per serving! They are also called mass gainers, gainer cocktails or proteins for weight gain. To learn more about how such protein fortified supplements help achieve results, check out the Complete Protein Guide.

creatine

Creatine helps improve performance in the gym, and over time, studies show again and again that this leads to an increase in strength and muscles.[6] Creatine also draws water into your cells to make your muscles a little bigger and heavier. Aim for 5-10 grams per day, taken at any time during the day. To learn more about this bona fide muscle building, read "Your complete guide to creatine monohydrate."

Additional carbohydrates

The more calories you can include in your diet right now, the better. If you are already drinking a cocktail before and after your workout, or use BCAA during your workout, add some fast-absorbing carbohydrates to your mix, such as dextrose. This can actually help you train more intensively, because your body predominantly uses carbohydrates as fuel during intense workouts, as registered dietitian Paul Salter explains in the article “Your carbohydrate guide during exercise.”

ZMA

If you want your muscles to grow, you need to give them time to recover after workouts. ZMA is one of the leading supplements for muscle recovery and muscle recovery overnight. The combination of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B-6, ZMA is best taken at bedtime to improve muscle recovery.[7,8]

Testosterone boosters

Testosterone boosters are not the same as testosterone replacement therapy. Instead, they are usually mixtures of ingredients in which athletes often lack – for example, zinc – or that have been associated in studies with higher levels of testosterone. They can control the range of both ingredients and dosages. For a deep dive, see the Complete Guide to Testosterone Boosters.

Supplements before exercise

Pre-workout supplements are good for one thing: help you get the most out of your workouts. Typically, they contain ingredients such as vasodilators that can help you increase muscle pumping load – which, let us remember, is one of the main factors in muscle growth – and also help you maintain energy and intensity during exercise. For more information, read the Complete Guide to Pre-Workout Supplements.